


It Takes a Second

by LuxRoyalty (slytherinsdaughter)



Series: Noct Whump Week [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Car Accidents, Father-Son Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 12:12:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15142826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherinsdaughter/pseuds/LuxRoyalty
Summary: Even royalty can get into car crashes.For Noct Whump Week





	It Takes a Second

**Author's Note:**

> My [tumblr](https://luxroyalty.tumblr.com). I'm taking prompts. They're fun to do!

Noctis loved the regalia. He loved the seats of it, how it looked, and the sheen of the paint when the sun hit it just right. He loved the memories too - his dad humming, looking out the window and seeing the city go past, the smile of Cor when he drove. The smell of the leather seats, the sun on his dad’s face, napping in the back seat of the car.

Unfortunately, this was not the regalia. It was just a simple - well, ‘simple’ - black car, and Noctis didn’t like it nearly as much.

He shifted in the backseat of the car, crossing his legs and leaning back into his seat, sighing. Regis, beside him, laughed.

“Don’t feel like a nap?” His voice was gentle and teasing, and his eyes were fond. They were always fond.

Noctis rolled his eyes. “Not with the gala coming up next,” he grumbled. “We’ll be there in what? - five minutes?”

“It’s the last one of the season,” his dad reminded him, “soon you’ll be free - for now. And it’s ten minutes.” Noctis sighed louder, and Regis put his hand on his shoulder. “Chin up, my son.”

Noctis moved to lean on his dad, resting his cheek on the older man’s arm. Regis used that to wrap his arms around his son, pulling him to him. They could only do that because of the darkened glass partition in the cars like these - it was meant to give the people in the back seat privacy, and privacy it gave them. As royalty, Regis and Noctis only had these precious few moments of just them.

Noctis loved these times with his dad.

His eyes were lidded, and he looked past him, to outside of the car. He looked at the large shining buildings and the glow of the advertisements. He smiled at the videos of his dad, nudging him.

“That’s you.”

Regis turned his head and because the car had stopped he saw the same thing as Noctis had. “And you.”

It was the news, showing the videos of the last gala, Noctis side by side with Regis. Regis was holding his son’s arm, walking with him and smiling lightly. They _both_ were smiling.

The car started moving again, the traffic lights changing, and they left that video behind. Noctis didn’t move, still, and kept on resting on his dad. Regis didn’t mind, he did the opposite of mind, wanting to bask in the presence of his son. Oh, how he wished he had more time to spare.

Noctis knew that if they didn’t have the gala to go to, Regis would have ruffled his hair by now. This did not stop the King from sticking his tongue out, nose wrinkled and mischief flashing in his eyes. Noctis snorted at him.

It was because he was sleepily looking out of the window that he saw it. A car running a red light, going quickly towards them. He sat up, eyes wide.

“Dad, there’s a car-” His voice broke half way through the sentence as the headlights grew in size.

They couldn’t do anything, not from the back, and Noctis watched as his dad turned his head away from the window and swore. They both braced for the impact, Regis moving to hold Noctis’ hand tight. Horns blared.

There was a loud crunch, and Noctis gasped as the force of the car hit them. He went flying, but his seatbelt caught him, and as the car flipped it held him. The metal of the car screeched as it dragged along the road and Noctis felt burning pain where something dug into him, and his knees stung where they slammed into the seat in front of him. It seemed to last forever the weightlessness and the pain of gravity, the flying and the falling.

Noctis just wanted to know if his dad was okay.

When they stopped moving the car was still on it’s side, his dad against the road and the window, and him hovering, panting. His ears rung. The seatbelt was wrapped around him tightly, painfully. One of his legs throbbed, and Noctis didn’t dare to try and move it. He was shaking badly, and something was trickling down his face. He needed to check on his dad - if he was alright. It took a lot of effort, but Noctis moved to look.

It wasn’t a good sight. Regis was laying limp, his blood already pooling around him. Shattered glass was everywhere, sprinkled into Regis’ hair - and Noctis could feel some in his too.

He had to take a deep breath, ignoring the smell of iron - _and it was daytime, people were around. There was no daemons, no Marilith, and his nursemaid was already dead. He wasn’t the one laying in his own blood, and no one was dead. Yet. Yet. Noctis swallowed and tried to remind himself he wasn’t eight anymore. His dad wasn’t coming to save him, but he could save his dad._

“Dad? He croaked out.

Regis didn’t answer.

Noctis bit his lip. He tried to turn his body to face him, but had to stop, holding back a scream. That - _hurt_. His lower back, his hips, his thighs all shrieked in pain, and Noctis felt tears well up. His arms tingled, but he could move them, and when Noctis looked at them he saw the blood.

“Dad?” He tried again.

He could still see his father and Noctis _hated_ how still he was.

“Majesty? Highness?” A familiar voice called and Noctis could almost sob.

“Clarus!” Blood dripped off his arm and onto his dad. He didn’t touch it, not wanting to prod the open wound underneath.

“Up here, Highness.”

Noctis turned his head the other way and saw Clarus looking in through his window. He wall tall enough to do that, the car being on it’s side not being a problem for him. The man looked relieved to see him, but that look faltered when he saw Regis.

“He’s not awake,” Noctis said, “I called but he didn’t wake up.”

“The paramedics will be here very soon,” Clarus tried to reassure him.

Noctis bit his lip and shook his head. “Dad’s bleeding a lot, and I - my back hurts.”

Clarus swore. Sirens screamed from very close by and Noctis almost - almost - relaxed with relief. He shut his eyes to listen to them.

“No, your Highness, please don’t do this - stay awake for me.”

“I’m not that injured,” Noctis said. “Dad is worse.”

“You’re bleeding a lot. _Stay awake.”_

Clarus ducked his head away and Noctis squinted at him through blurry eyes. Someone else looked over then, and they were wearing bright green. A Paramedic.

“Highness - Lord Amicitia told me your back hurts. Can you turn it?”

“No.” Even now it hurt, and Noctis hadn’t tried to move it again.

“Okay,” The man leaned over, into the car, with something in his hand. “I know you’ve already moved your neck, but let us put this brace on you, alright your Highness?”

He placed one hand on Noctis’ shoulder and that hurt, but when he touched Noctis’ back, even as gentle as it was it hurt. Oh Astrals, it _hurt._ Noctis let out a small scream behind clenched teeth and screwed up his eyes. The world went black.

 

* * *

 

He woke up. Strapped into a stretcher, with a face mask around his mouth, Noctis blinked back into consciousness. He coughed, the sharp pain radiating around his body with that one movement.

He could see people - a lot of people. Crownsguard blockading them away from the crash, more standing around on high alert, Clarus still standing by the car. He could see the public with their phones out, filming or taking pictures, all of them looking at the car and him. And he could see Gladio, looking at him.

“Prince.” He said, looking more relieved than Noctis has ever seen him. “We’re going to hospital, alright? You’re hurt.”

Answering - or talking - was too hard for him to do right then, and he couldn't nod, so he hoped Gladio got his answer from his blinks.

And Noctis entered an ambulance for the first time in his life. It was a Crownsguard one, armoured for safety. It hurt when he was lifted into it, the movement of the stretcher hurting his back. Gladio stepped in after him, moving out of the way of the paramedics. The paramedics didn’t ask whether Gladio was meant to stay or not. Maybe they had already gotten the ‘I’m the Shield’ talk from him.

Noctis sighed and closed his eyes again. Then he paused.

His throat burned, but he had to ask. “Gladio - is dad..?”

“They’re trying to get him out now. They said it’s hard to get to him, but the paramedics are making sure he’s alright.”

Noctis bit his lip and tried not to think about it.

 

* * *

 

The doctor had knocked him out for some reason - he wasn’t listening - but when he awoke his dad was sleeping in the bed beside his.

Regis’ face was bruised and cut up, and Noctis could see all the bandages wrapped all around him. He looked like hell, and Noctis wasn’t even close enough truly see the damage.

He eyed the floor, wondering if he could walk enough to get to the other bed. Something made him doubt it - It probably was the pain running through his back, even with the painkillers he was on. Noctis moved to press the nearby button and waited patiently until someone came for him.

A nurse poked her head through the doors. “Your Highness?” She asked, bowing politely.

“Can you move me closer to dad?”

“Of course,” she brightly said and walked in. It only took a couple of seconds, but their beds were pressed together and Noctis reached out to gently hold his father’s hand, being careful of the bruises.

“Thank you,” he gave her a regal smile.

She bowed again, leaving the room, shutting the door behind her. The room was silent, with only the humming of the medical equipment in the background.

Noctis sighed. “Shit.” He swore, rubbing his dad’s knuckles with his thumb. “I’d rather the gala.”

“I never thought I would hear you say that,” a quiet voice croaked out.

“Dad!” Noctis blurted. He turned his head to look at his dad’s tired eyes, a soft smile on his face. Regis squeezed his hand.

“That’s me.” He breathed, moving his other hand to rub his forehead. “You are right, my son. I feel like _shit.”_

“Car crashes hurt,” Noctis wisely said. “It’s better not to have them.”

“You’re telling me.” Regis reached up to stroke his cheek. “Let’s not do this again.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have been reminded of old school videos on car crashes and _that is a bad thing_. A lot of them are worse than car crashes you see on movies and tv.
> 
> (did anyone else have to watch the video where two teenagers are kissing, the girl on the wall and it's all happy music, then a car comes out of nowhere are hits them, crushing them both, and the girl is screaming and her dead boyfriend is pinned to her? Because I did. _AND GOD DO I REMEMBER IT EVEN TO THIS DAY._ )


End file.
